Toledo Supports Crabbing Industry

The Toledo City Council convened a special meeting the evening of February 11, 2026, to take up a single question: whether to formally oppose proposed changes to Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab regulations that local leaders say could devastate the coast’s fishing-dependent economy. The Port of Toledo had asked the council to consider adopting a letter of opposition to new guidelines being floated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). At the heart of the issue is a petition calling for the mandatory use of so‑called “pop‑up” or “ropeless” gear in the Dungeness crab fishery by 2028.

Under the petition, the industry would have only about a year to experiment with this new technology before it became required equipment. According to the Rich Huebner Toledo city manager, the cost to outfit vessels with this gear runs into the thousands of dollars per boat, a price many smaller operators would struggle to pay. On top of that, there are serious doubts that lenders would finance largely unproven technology. City staff and councilors emphasized that the concern is not just about gear, but about the ripple effects across the community. Huebner noted that any fishing boat or processing facility that shuts down doesn’t just mean a lost job—it often means an entire family leaving the area.

“Those employees have spouses and families,” he said, stressing that if they have to relocate, they take their kids out of local schools and their spending out of local businesses. The council acknowledged the impacts would be felt far beyond Toledo, stretching up and down the Oregon coast. Local fishermen and families filled the audience. Mayor Mix introduced several members of the fishing community by name and made clear they were present to answer council questions, even though there was no formal public comment period on the special meeting agenda.

Mayor Mix did not mince words about what she believes is at stake. She warned that the proposed changes could “essentially shut down the majority” of the Dungeness crab season, not just for Toledo and Newport, but for communities all along the coast. That, she said, would mean less crab in stores for consumers and a cascading blow to every other business that depends on the money fishing brings into town. Councilors and fishing representatives also questioned the science and process behind the petition. They criticized what they described as a rush to mandate gear that has only been tested for a single year under limited conditions in California.

The mayor raised another sore point: how incidental whale “take” is handled in neighboring states. California and Washington, she said, receive incidental take permits that effectively set a quota for whale deaths within their fisheries. Oregon’s crab fleet, by contrast, has not been granted such a permit. That leaves Oregon fishermen, in their view, shouldering a disproportionate share of the blame for a small number of documented entanglements, while ship strikes and other non‑fishery incidents are not treated the same way.

Councilor Keating, drawing on his recent work with the Central Coast Food Web, spoke about the razor-thin profit margins under which most small fishing operations already operate. He said every new barrier can be “crippling.” "Every barrier will put more fishers out of out of work." While he expressed openness to the idea of long-term planning and thoughtful pilot programs over a decade or more, he called the current timeline and scale of the petition “unrealistic” for a fleet made up largely of small businesses.

A motion was made to approve and authorize the mayor and city manager to sign a formal letter opposing the ODFW petition to change the Oregon commercial Dungeness crab fishery regulations. The motion was quickly seconded and put to a roll call vote. Each councilor present voted “yes,” with council president Silvia adding an emphatic “absolutely.” The motion passed unanimously. The city manager and mayor were directed to finalize and sign the opposition letter on behalf of the City of Toledo and submit it to the appropriate state officials. To learn more about the petition and what it means for our local coastal crabbing industry watch the Coffee with Kiera episode here.